Man charged with arson after entry denied at Eastside home

A man who was denied entry into an Eastside home early Tuesday responded by setting the residence on fire, police said.

About 12:57 a.m. Tuesday, a house fire was reported in the 900 block of North Tacoma Avenue, according to a report from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

Two women at the home told investigators that a man was outside banging on the door and asking to come inside.

When he was told no by one of the women, the man continued to pound on the door and threatened to set the home on fire, the report states. A short time later, one of the women saw smoke filling the house.

The Indianapolis Fire Department arrived and quickly extinguished the fire that was started in the rear of the house, the report states.

As police continued to speak with the women, one of the women spotted the man riding his bike in an alley north of the home, the report states. The man was then arrested and booked into the Marion County Jail for arson.

The police report states that no one was hurt in the fire, but the blaze did $5,000 worth of damage. Fire investigators determined that the fire was incendiary in nature.